Carnival vs Royal Caribbean

[crooksy532]

My BF and I are in our late 20s and have taken 2 RCI cruises together. He also went on another before we got together. While he has never been on another line, I have also cruised with Holland America. The differences between the two lines was not that drastic, however, I much prefer RCI. I have recently been talking to a friend who has taken a few cruises with Carnival and Royal Caribbean. She said, for the younger crowd, Carnival is much more fun and exciting. She said that while there are not as many options for entertainment, etc. the nightlife is absolutely wonderful. My BF is a total RCI addict and is not exactly excited about the possibility of taking a Carnival cruise.

 

I am curious to hear from people who have traveled on both Carnival and RCI. I would like to know your take on both lines. Keep in mind that we are young but still really enjoy the entertainment and shows like RCI's Quest and Newlywed Game.

 

I am also going to post this on the RCI site to see the reactions I get there too. Thanks!!

[Jennfor5]

My BF and I are in our late 20s and have taken 2 RCI cruises together. He also went on another before we got together. While he has never been on another line, I have also cruised with Holland America. The differences between the two lines was not that drastic, however, I much prefer RCI. I have recently been talking to a friend who has taken a few cruises with Carnival and Royal Caribbean. She said, for the younger crowd, Carnival is much more fun and exciting. She said that while there are not as many options for entertainment, etc. the nightlife is absolutely wonderful. My BF is a total RCI addict and is not exactly excited about the possibility of taking a Carnival cruise.

 

I am curious to hear from people who have traveled on both Carnival and RCI. I would like to know your take on both lines. Keep in mind that we are young but still really enjoy the entertainment and shows like RCI's Quest and Newlywed Game.

 

I am also going to post this on the RCI site to see the reactions I get there too. Thanks!!

I am 39 and still prefer Carnival over, RCI. The food and entertainment are way better on carnival.The service is more friendly and not as snooty.

The room service is free 24 hours. They go to the same ports but the carnival is much better in my opinion.

[tiggerman101]

I am not trying to sound rude or be a smart *** here....but the board has a search function that can help you out with common questions such as this one. If you are on the main Carnival message board then look at the right hand corner where it says "Search this Forum". Click on that and a drop box will appear. At the bottom of the drop box it says "Advanced Search" (this usually works better then the regular search). Click on that. A new page will pop up. On the left hand side look for the box to put in "Keyword(s)". Type in Carnival Vs Royal. Below that there is a box that says "Search Entire Posts". Click on that and change it to "Search Titles Only" (since this is a very common subject this will help to narrow the search down). Now go to the bottom middle of the whole box and hit "Search Now". You will get around 45 results. You now have 45 different threads to look into on this subject. Again, just trying to be helpful, not rude.

[marimojo]

I've done both. We prefer RC for the shows. I don't see much difference with the food - both are good. I like the RC desserts better. I think the cabins are nicer on RC, but I have not been on any of the newer Carnival ships, so that may have improved - I just prefer the toned down decor of Royal Caribbean. We have had a really good time on both lines. One nice thing about RC, you only have to do 5 sailings to get to Platinium status and I believe you have to do 10 sailings on Carnival.

[mprince4]

My BF and I are in our late 20s and have taken 2 RCI cruises together. He also went on another before we got together. While he has never been on another line, I have also cruised with Holland America. The differences between the two lines was not that drastic, however, I much prefer RCI. I have recently been talking to a friend who has taken a few cruises with Carnival and Royal Caribbean. She said, for the younger crowd, Carnival is much more fun and exciting. She said that while there are not as many options for entertainment, etc. the nightlife is absolutely wonderful. My BF is a total RCI addict and is not exactly excited about the possibility of taking a Carnival cruise.

 

I am curious to hear from people who have traveled on both Carnival and RCI. I would like to know your take on both lines. Keep in mind that we are young but still really enjoy the entertainment and shows like RCI's Quest and Newlywed Game.

 

I am also going to post this on the RCI site to see the reactions I get there too. Thanks!!

 

I'm 30, I've been on both, and I think Carnival and RC are about the same except the RC has more families and the people on RC are not as fun. The nightlife is bleak on RC. I went on an RC cruise over New Year's one year and I was up until about 3 am every night, but the disco was dead around 12/1 (and full of teens anyway) and then we'd have to find somewhere else to hang out for the rest of the night. And there were probably only a dozen passengers still up and about at that hour....

[madge57]

I have only been on Carnival but coming this January I hope my DD and I will be going on RCI!! i won a free cruise and I am taking her as a graduation gift for graduating from Massage Therapy!! I am going with an open mine because regardless of what line its better than being at home in the cold and snow!!

[H82seaUgo]

you will find more similarities than differences. they are both fine lines, and that makes them number 1 and number 2 in the business.

 

but anyone expecting the same experience on both, and are actively seeking out who does what better is only setting themselves up for disappointment. both lines do something better than the other is some aspects, and one should appreciate the differences.

 

when we started sailing a second line, it just opened up more possibilities to us. and what makes one experience better than another is entirely up to you. it can even happen on 2 ships within one line.

[ToesntheSand]

We have also done both Carnival and RCI. We have found that although RCI ships do give a wow factor. There is something about Carnival that has us keep coming back. The food on Carnvial, in our opinions, was far and beyond better than RCI. We found that the activities were better on Carnival. When comparing the 2, like many others have said, there is more similarities than differences. Since you are asking this question on both boards your going to get lots of mixed opinions. If you go into a cruise on Carnival or RCI with an open mind and not looking for the negatives you will have a great trip no matter what.

[serene56]

I sailed Royal and Carnival and found them to be about the same with food/service.

 

Carnival has a night show too. (i think that if you take one of the newer ships and stay away from the older ones you will be pleasantly surprised)

Carnival will also be cheaper

[LBumb]

they are very similar. i look for value when choosing. i prefer rci because of the diamond perks we get, but have nothing against carnival. imo there is not a huge difference except for oasis and allure mega ships which we have yet to sail.

[elcuchio24]

We are mid/late 20's as well. I still don't see a big difference between RCI/CCL. Entertainment is about on par. It really isn't any more of a party ship atmosphere than RCI. Food is better on CCL, often prices are better too.

[Cruzaholic41]

My BF and I are in our late 20s and have taken 2 RCI cruises together. He also went on another before we got together. While he has never been on another line, I have also cruised with Holland America. The differences between the two lines was not that drastic, however, I much prefer RCI. I have recently been talking to a friend who has taken a few cruises with Carnival and Royal Caribbean. She said, for the younger crowd, Carnival is much more fun and exciting. She said that while there are not as many options for entertainment, etc. the nightlife is absolutely wonderful. My BF is a total RCI addict and is not exactly excited about the possibility of taking a Carnival cruise.

 

I am curious to hear from people who have traveled on both Carnival and RCI. I would like to know your take on both lines. Keep in mind that we are young but still really enjoy the entertainment and shows like RCI's Quest and Newlywed Game.

 

I am also going to post this on the RCI site to see the reactions I get there too. Thanks!!

 

There is such a difference in ship classes, especially on RCI, that to be honest, a good comparison cannot be done by someone who has only sailed on 1 or 2 ships of either or both lines.

 

For the most part, CCL and RCI are very similar. It's little, insignificant things that each line does differently - Room Service, for example. RCI charges for room service ($3.95) between midnight and 5 am, but RCI's room service menu is much better and has more items. It all evens out.

 

That all said, RCI has a ship class that cannot be compared to anything Carnival has - Oasis Class. If you are looking for the best overall cruise with tons of activity, great nightlife, and the best entertainment at sea, go with RCI's Oasis or Allure.

[Lineaway]

I have been on both along with HAL, Celebrity, Costa :( and NCL. We are in our 40's. I'd have to say Carnival will be less money overall, at least for a Balcony (once in a Balcony we never went back). However, RCCL has the Monster ships which will offer more entertainment, dinning options and activities because of the number of passengers. Of course this is comparing the big ships to Carnival and not some of their smaller ones.

 

I thought Carnival had the edge in food, Kids Club (if that mattered) and Value/Cost.

 

RCCL had the edge on entertainment and eating options and availability 24hrs (see above).

 

Service was great on both, ship condition was spotless on both and to me the Passengers were the same on both.

 

I thought RCCL did Nickle and Dime more with some of their restaurants. They also offer more itineraries that are longer than 7/8 days if that matters.

 

If you didn't see much differnce between HAL and RCCL you won't see any difference between Carnival and RCCL.

 

I am looking for a Cruise for next year and I keep finding the deals on Carnival and not RCCL.

 

To sum up, I agree with the prior posters that there are more similarities than differences.

[crooksy532]

I am not trying to sound rude or be a smart *** here....but the board has a search function that can help you out with common questions such as this one. If you are on the main Carnival message board then look at the right hand corner where it says "Search this Forum". Click on that and a drop box will appear. At the bottom of the drop box it says "Advanced Search" (this usually works better then the regular search). Click on that. A new page will pop up. On the left hand side look for the box to put in "Keyword(s)". Type in Carnival Vs Royal. Below that there is a box that says "Search Entire Posts". Click on that and change it to "Search Titles Only" (since this is a very common subject this will help to narrow the search down). Now go to the bottom middle of the whole box and hit "Search Now". You will get around 45 results. You now have 45 different threads to look into on this subject. Again, just trying to be helpful, not rude.

 

Thank you so much. I looked a few pages and didn't see anything. But I will try that if you say it has so many results.

[H82seaUgo]

Thank you so much. I looked a few pages and didn't see anything. But I will try that if you say it has so many results.

 

what they're holding back is many times fights break out, and then posts are deleted. so searching for them will do no good sometimes.

 

try typing in "carnival vs royal caribbean", making sure to include the quotes.

[Jolimont]

I enjoy them both and think they're more similar than different. I think Carnival is a little better for bedding/cabin size and a tad better on the food. I like that you can have lunch near the pool on Carnival. I liked the shows and ship activities better on RCI, and it's easier to find your way around on RCI ships, there are more sports activities available on RCI (bigger basketball court, climbing wall on the ship). If sailing from an international destination, RCI makes announcements in several languages, whereas Carnival is more uniformly in English. RCI is 20-30% more expensive for the cruises I've priced and I don't think it's worth the extra cash, which is why we're going back to Carnival this summer, but if I find a good price on RCI I'll be happy to go again.

[Sundiego]

I'm 30, I've been on both, and I think Carnival and RC are about the same except the RC has more families and the people on RC are not as fun.

 

You don't know who the people will be on the sailing she picks so this is really an unfair comment. There are a lot of fun, energetic people who sail both lines. There are drunks that sail both lines. There are old peeps with walkers who sail both lines.

 

Fact: when I sailed RCI they had glass shower doors. I liked that.

 

Fact: when I sailed RCI the balcony cabin was smaller than the balconies I've had on Carnival. I didn't like that.

[Toast1412]

RCCL does have the concierge lounge if you buy a suite and the overall layout around the pool areas on RCCL get's the edge in my book.

 

Although, our bar bill always seems to be about $1,000 at the end of each whether it's RCCL or CCL. I'd say there's no difference at all.

[mprince4]

You don't know who the people will be on the sailing she picks so this is really an unfair comment. There are a lot of fun, energetic people who sail both lines. There are drunks that sail both lines. There are old peeps with walkers who sail both lines.

 

Fact: when I sailed RCI they had glass shower doors. I liked that.

 

Fact: when I sailed RCI the balcony cabin was smaller than the balconies I've had on Carnival. I didn't like that.

 

How exactly is it unfair to say that my experience was that the people on RC were not really partiers? I was also trying to make the point that on a New Year's cruise, you might expect a more fun crowd, and that was not what I saw. I was just on another RC cruise and it was very much the same. I'm not trying to make a blanket statement about what every single cruise on RC is like... the OP asked for opinions from people who have sailed both, and opinions have to be based on personal experience. Geez.

[H82seaUgo]

RCCL does have the concierge lounge if you buy a suite and the overall layout around the pool areas on RCCL get's the edge in my book.

 

Although, our bar bill always seems to be about $1,000 at the end of each whether it's RCCL or CCL. I'd say there's no difference at all.

 

we just bring on a $10 bottle of rum, and another of vodka. so much cheaper.

[Sundiego]

How exactly is it unfair to say that my experience was that the people on RC were not really partiers? I was also trying to make the point that on a New Year's cruise, you might expect a more fun crowd, and that was not what I saw. I was just on another RC cruise and it was very much the same. I'm not trying to make a blanket statement about what every single cruise on RC is like... the OP asked for opinions from people who have sailed both, and opinions have to be based on personal experience. Geez.

 

Okay, I am not trying to pick a fight. I read "RC has more families and the people on RC are not as fun." I have sailed RC and have met a lot of fun people, same with Carnival. Sorry that has not been your experience.

[tropicaledrink]

We've only sailed Carnival, but I have been very satisfied with their product and haven't felt the need to try another line. If I saw a RCI cruise that cost comparative (and wasn't the Monarch or Majesty), I would definitely consider booking it just to try RCI out.

 

A few things I think Carnival does well.....variety of options for all ages, the main dining room experience, and the adults only serenity decks.

 

If your boyfriend is hesitant to book on Carnival, can I suggest you book on the Spirit class? (Spirit is on the West Coast, Pride is in Baltimore, Miracle alternates seasonally between New York and Fort Lauderdale, and the Legend is out of Tampa). The Legend is one of Carnival's most popular ships and does a great 7 day Western itinerary. The Spirit class is by far the easiest class to walk throughout the ship and offers plenty of extras....including the highest number of pools per ship. Just some food for thought. :)

[vegasnine]

I have been on both. There were good and bad with both. I am going back to RCI though. I don't think I would say that I would never sail with Carnival again, but I think they wouldn't be my first choice.

 

Also it really does depend on itinerary, you will have more of a party crowd in the Caribbean than in Alaska obviously.

 

I did find the atmosphere on Carnival to be more light and fun, the food was good - about the same on both. The cabin on our ship was the noisiest I've ever had on Carnival and the bed was NOT comfy at all. That could have just been the ship though.

[mprince4]

Okay, I am not trying to pick a fight. I read "RC has more families and the people on RC are not as fun." I have sailed RC and have met a lot of fun people, same with Carnival. Sorry that has not been your experience.

 

I'm not trying to pick a fight either, but I did start that sentence with "I think." I'm not saying there aren't any fun people on RC - I loved my New Year's cruise and my family cruise. But if you are like me and are looking for action at 2 am because you're on vacation and don't want to sleep, it wasn't happening on either of my RC cruises. It's all about what you want from a cruise - maybe the OP doesn't care about what's going on after 11 pm. That was just the main difference I identified between the 2 lines.

[Sir Cruise-a-Lot]

Both offer a great cruise experience. I’ve sailed both several time. One may have a better this and one may have a better that but both have the key ingredient to having fun and that is what a cruise is all about.